Daniel J. O’Hanlon, Shareholder
Dan, manager of the firm’s natural resources practice group, focuses on environmental law and includes litigation, counseling and permitting in the areas of water resources, remediation of contaminated property, endangered species, and wetlands. He serves as special counsel to a number of public agencies and associations in the water resources area, including the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority and Westlands Water District, and private entities as well.
Legal Experience
In practice since 1985, Dan is an accomplished litigator with in-depth experience representing clients in a variety of environmental matters including:
- Water rights matters before the State Water Resources Control Board and state courts involving endangered species, instream flows, and the public trust doctrine
- Litigation involving the application of the Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act and underlying regulations to the operations of major water projects
- Obtaining permits under federal and state endangered species laws
- Advice and counsel regarding rights and responsibilities for remediation of contaminated soil and groundwater
- Suits under CERCLA, RCRA and state law counterparts, as well as contract and fraud disputes arising out of environmental contamination of real property
- Toxic torts litigation
Dan’s litigation experience encompasses a wide range of proceedings, including bench and jury trials, writ of mandate and other administrative record based litigation, appellate practice, arbitration, and mediation.
Prior to joining the firm in 2000, Dan was a Partner with Beveridge & Diamond LLP in San Francisco, where he focused on environmental litigation as well as counseling and permitting in the areas of endangered species, wetlands and water resources.
Practice Examples
Recent examples of legal matters Dan has handled include:
- Suits involving challenges to State Water Resources Control Board decisions involving the Bay-Delta, including challenges to Decision 1641 and Standard Permit Term 91.
- Litigation under NEPA and the ESA regarding changes to the operations of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project.
- Representation of water districts in litigation involving drainage impaired agricultural land.
- Representation of a municipality in CERCLA litigation involving allegations of releases from municipal sewers.
- Representation of local redevelopment authorities with respect to remediation and cost recovery for infill development projects.
Professional Activities & Affiliations
Dan professional activities and affiliations include:
- Best Lawyers® 2024 Water Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Sacramento
- Best Lawyers® 2023 Natural Resources Law & Environmental Litigation “Lawyer of the Year” in Sacramento
- Best Lawyers® 2021 Water Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Sacramento
- Best Lawyers® 2020 Environmental Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Sacramento
- The Best Lawyers in America, Environmental Law, Litigation – Environmental, Water Law (2018-2024)
- Martindale-Hubbell AV Rated Attorney
- Northern California Super Lawyer (2011-2023)
- Top Lawyer, Sacramento Magazine (2016-2023)
- Best of the Bar, Sacramento Business Journal (2015)
- Member, various committees and subcommittees of the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA)
- Member, American Bar Association
- Member, Sacramento County Bar Association
- Editorial Board, California Water Law & Policy
- California State Bar #122380
Academic Background
J.D. University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, 1985
B.S. University of California, Davis, 1981
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Overview
Phone: (916) 321-4522 | Email: dohanlon@kmtg.comAreas of Practice
Newsroom
- "Managing Our Streams for the Future: A Discussion of Instream Flow Policy." The State Water Resources Control Board, in response to AB2121, has proposed an instream flow policy for North Coast streams. This panel will discuss the process by which the policy was formulated, its provisions and impact, and its potential to serve as a template for instream flow policies elsewhere in the state.
KMTG Moderator: Jan Goldsmith - "New Rules for the Delta: The Wanger Decision, Delta Vision & Beyond"
KMTG Presenter: Daniel J. O’HanlonMay 8, 2008 (10:00 – 11:50 a.m.)
- "10 Years of Water Supply and Land Use Litigation Under the UWMPA, CEQA and SB 610 and 221 – What Have We Learned"
KMTG Presenter: Eric Robinson
- "10 Years of Water Supply and Land Use Litigation Under the UWMPA, CEQA and SB 610 and 221 – What Have We Learned"
Speaking Engagements
10.18.2019
|Speaking Engagement
|Uncooperative Federalism
DATE
October 18
LOCATION
Yosemite, CA
Related Practices/Industries
OVERVIEW
Kronick is pleased to again sponsor the California Lawyer Association’s Environmental Law Conference at Yosemite on October 18 – 20, 2019. Shareholder Daniel O’Hanlon will discuss the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s biological assessment for Central Valley Project operations, stating that the proposal will “maximize water supply delivery and optimize power generation consistent with applicable laws.” Environmental groups call it a “plan for extinction.” The Bureau is also threatening to refuse to comply with some state requirements in the Delta and proposing to enlarge Shasta Dam notwithstanding limiting provisions of the California Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. This panel will discuss the potential for conflicts in state and federal water policy, requirements for federal compliance with state law and possible responses if the federal government fails to comply.
06.20.2019
|Speaking Engagement
|The Public Trust Doctrine: Expanding or Contracting?
DATE
June 20-21
LOCATION
Omni Hotel, San Francisco
Related Practices/Industries
OVERVIEW
Kronick is pleased to again sponsor the annual California Water Law & Policy conference on June 20-21, 2019 in San Francisco. Shareholder Daniel O’Hanlon will participate in a panel discussion about lack of trust in Public Agencies, is it “An Emerging Litigation Trend to Challenge Agency Decisions?” Kronick can offer friends of the firm a $100 discount off the regular tuition pricing upon entering the code: “Friend of Kronick Moskovitz” when registering here.
REGISTRATION
Please visit the event website for more information.
06.12.2017
|Speaking Engagement
|California Water Law & Policy Conference
Date:
June 12-13
Location:
San Francisco
Organizers:
Related Practices/Industries
Organized By:
Program Overview:
Kronick is pleased to sponsor the 2017 California Water Law & Policy Conference in San Francisco. This comprehensive and practical two-day conference focuses on two themes: long-term water supply issues facing the state, and how the new federal administration’s proposed policies might—or might not—impact water law, supply and management. Kronick Shareholder will particpate in a panel to discuss “Potential Disputes and Litigation Arising from SGMA Implementation” and the following day, Shareholder Daniel O’Hanlon will provide an update on the Trinity River as it relates to the Endangered Species Act.
Registration:
Please visit the event website for more information and to register. Friends of Kronick can receive a $100 discount off of the regular conference price by using the code: Friend of Kronick.
01.26.2013
|Speaking Engagement
|What’s Really Killing The Salmon: What is the Role of the Law When Faced With Scientific Uncertainty and a Fractured Governmental System?
Date:
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Time:
10:15 a.m.
Location:
UC Davis Conference Center
Davis, CA
Organizers:
Related Practices/Industries
Sponsored By:
University of California, Davis School of Law
9th Annual California Water Law Symposium – Beyond the Water Wars
Panelists:
[SPEAKERS]
Peter B. Moyle, UC Davis Department of Wildlife Fish and Conservation Biology
Doug Obegi, Natural Resources Defense Counsel
Overview:
Salmon degradation has played a major role in California water management. The California Department of Fish and Game estimates that in the 1930's there were likely 15,000 fish annually in the river. In the mid-20th century, as diversions from the river increased, the salmon population began to decline. In response, agencies took steps to improve habitat and increase the salmon population. This inevitably led to litigation, such as the issue of the Coordinated Operations of the CVP and SWP, on what methods were best suited for salmon restoration taking into account multiple interests and the best available science.
Over the last two decades, scientists regulated, and interested parties have been trying to better understand the causes of the salmon population decline. Besides studies of flow and its relationship to the health of the salmon population, there have been just as many studies implicating a variety of other stressors. These include predation, habitat degradation, water quality, climate change and the overall health of the Delta. Studies show that collectively these stressors have led to the degradation of the salmon population and that their only chance of survival is to address these stressors collectively. Unfortunately, since these biological studies take years to complete and rarely offer the kind of definitive answers parties seek, scientists and resource managers are not ready to conclusively state that even comprehensive restoration efforts will bring the salmon back.
What should the role of law, lawyers and judges be in addressing the salmon population’s decline and recovery?
01.26.2012
|Speaking Engagement
|45th Annual Mid Pacific Region Water Users Conference:[br]Bay Delta Litigation Update Panel
Date:
Thursday, January 26, 2012
(Subject to change)
Time:
11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
(Subject to change)
Location:
El Dorado Hotel & Casino
Reno, NV
Organizers:
Related Practices/Industries
Sponsored By:
2012 Mid Pacific Region Water Users Conference (January 25 – 27, 2012)
Presenters:
[SPEAKERS]
Charles Hamilton
Gregory Wilkinson
12.02.2011
|Brown Bag Seminar
|Webinar: Plaintiffs Pursue Application Of California Area of Origin Law That Would Require Priority Allocations Of CVP And SWP Contract Supply to Area of Origin Contractors
Date:
Friday, December 2, 2011
Time:
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Location:
Attendees can attend via webinar or in person at:
Kronick
400 Capitol Mall, 27th Floor
Sacramento, CA
MCLE Credit:
1 Hour
Organizers:
Related Practices/Industries
Sponsored By:
Natural Resources Subsection of the State Bar Association's Real Property Section
Presenters:
[SPEAKERS]
Jennifer Spaletta
Program Overview:
Join the Natural Resources subsection for an informative presentation by Jennifer Spaletta and Daniel J. O’Hanlon regarding current litigation on California area of origin law. Event participants will learn about pending efforts in state and federal court to apply California area of statutes to give priority deliveries of CVP and SWP water supplies to area of origin users.
In addition to a brief overview of California area of origin law and its historical applications, participants will hear about Solano County Water Agency v. Department of Water Resources, currently pending in Sacramento Superior Court. In this litigation, Solano County Water Agency and other agencies who serve water to northern California communities located in areas of origin have filed suit against the California Department of Water Resources. Counsel for plaintiffs will be on hand to explain arguments for having DWR operate the State Water Project to give Plaintiffs a priority to their full SWP contract supplies before exporting water south.
Similar arguments in the federal litigation, Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority v. U.S. Department of Interior, will be discussed by council for defendant-intervenors in that case. In federal court, plaintiffs sought and were denied an operation of the Central Valley Project that will give priority allocations to area of origin users before water is exported south of the Delta. This matter is currently on appeal.
Registration:
To sign up for the webinar, please visit the State Bar's website
To sign up to attend in person, please email Lindsey Ono
03.04.2011
|Speaking Engagement
|The Public Trust Doctrine
Date:
Friday, March 4, 2011
Time:
11:00 a.m.
Location:
UC Davis School of Law
400 Mark Hall Dr.
Davis, CA 95616-5201
Organizers:
Related Practices/Industries
Sponsored By:
UC Davis Law Review Symposium
KMTG Presenters:
[SPEAKERS]
01.27.2011
|Speaking Engagement
|Bay Delta Litigation Update Panel
Date:
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Location:
El Dorado Hotel & Casino
Reno, Nevada
Organizers:
Related Practices/Industries
Sponsored By:
Bureau of Reclamation – 44th Mid Pacific Region Water Users Conference
KMTG Presenters:
[SPEAKERS]
09.24.2010
|Speaking Engagement
|Laws of the River: California’s Bay-Delta Litigation – What It Means for Water Supply and for the West
Date:
Friday, September 24, 2010
Time:
11:00 a.m.
Location:
Grand Hyatt
Seattle, CA
Organizers:
Related Practices/Industries
Sponsored By:
CLE International – Water Law Institute
17th Annual Western Water Law Conference (Sept 23-24, 2010)
KMTG Presenters:
[SPEAKERS]
04.15.2010
|Speaking Engagement
|Managing Regulation – A New Reality: How To Handle The New Regulation And The Conflicts And Contradictions That Will Come With It
Date:
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Time:
10:00 a.m.
Location:
Courtyard by Marriott
600 E. Esplanade Dr.
Oxnard, CA 93036
Organizers:
Related Practices/Industries
Sponsored By:
Association of Water Agencies of Ventura County (AWA)
18th Annual Water Symposium
Conference Overview:
This year’s conference, “A Historic Fix, or a Bag of Tricks? Have We Reached the True Crossroads for Water," will explore various aspects of the recently passed historic water legislation, potential bond funding (or not), and its impact on regulation including conservation, groundwater operations/monitoring, and governance
KMTG Presenters:
[SPEAKERS]
Other panel members include Mike Wade, General Manager of the California Farm Water Coalition (agriculture) and Chris Brown, Executive Director of the California Urban Water Conservation Council
Registration:
For more information and to register please visit: http://www.awavc.org/eventdefinition.htm
01.28.2010
|Speaking Engagement
|Bay Delta Litigation Panel – Update on Federal Litigation Regarding the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
Date:
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Location:
El Dorado Hotel & Casino
Reno, Nevada
Organizers:
Related Practices/Industries
Sponsored By:
Bureau of Reclamation – 43rd Mid Pacific Region Water Users Conference
KMTG Presenters:
[SPEAKERS]
11.05.2009
|Speaking Engagement
|The Complicated Delta – What’s Happening Now; Salmon BIOP and Other Issues
Date:
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Time:
10:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Location:
La Quinta Resort & Club
Palm Springs, CA
Organizers:
Related Practices/Industries
Sponsored By:
CLE International – 8th Annual California Water Law Conference (November 5-6, 2009)
KMTG Panel Presenters:
[SPEAKERS]
08.27.2009
|Speaking Engagement
|Endangered Species Act: Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Biological Opinions
Date:
August 27, 2009
Time:
3:30 p.m.
Location:
Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino
3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, NV 89119
Organizers:
Related Practices/Industries
Sponsored By:
CLE International – 16th Annual Western Water Law Conference (August 27-28, 2009)
KMTG Presenters:
[SPEAKERS]
12.03.2008
|Speaking Engagement
|The Wanger Cases – Regulation of Diversion of Water from the Delta Under the Endangered Species Act
Date:
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Time:
10:00 - 11:45 a.m.
Location:
Long Beach Convention Center
Long Beach, CA
MCLE Credit:
1.75 Hours
Organizers:
Related Practices/Industries
Sponsored By:
Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA)
Annual Fall Conference & Exhibition (Dec. 2-5, 2008)
KMTG Presenters:
[SPEAKERS]
05.15.2008
|Speaking Engagement
|Delta Litigation in the Federal Courts
Date:
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Time:
11:15 to Noon
Location:
Hilton San Francisco
Organizers:
Related Practices/Industries
Sponsored By:
Water Law Institute CLE International
16th Annual California Water Law Conference – The Latest Regulatory and Litigation Developments
KMTG Presenter:
[SPEAKERS]
Registration:
For more information and to register: http://www.cle.com/product.php?proid=997&page=California_Water_Law
05.06.2008
|Industry Conference
|ACWA 2008 Spring Conference and Exhibition: Managing Water in a Green World
Date:
May 6-9, 2008
Location:
Portola and Marriott Hotels
Monterey
Organizers:
Related Practices/Industries
KMTG Speaking Engagements:
May 7, 2008 (2:15 – 3:45 p.m.)
May 7, 2008 (10:00 – 11:50 a.m.)
05.04.2008
|Speaking Engagement
|Show Me The Water! How the Regulatory Drought and California’s Water & Planning Laws Demand New Partnerships Among Landowners/Property Developers, Water Agencies and Land-use Agencies
Date:
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Time:
9:00 - 10:30
Location:
Hilton La Jolla
Torrey Pines
MCLE Credit:
1.50 Hours
Organizers:
Related Practices/Industries
Sponsored By:
The State Bar of California, Real Property Law Section
27th Annual Retreat (May 2-4, 2008)
Overview:
Continued population growth, natural drought cycles and a deepening environmental regulatory drought are making water shortages an increasingly common roadblock to real property development. Learn about tools and approaches for working with water suppliers and land-use agencies to break through the water shortage barrier, and receive an update on new case law developments involving statewide water supplies, CEQA, SB 610 and SB 221.
KMTG Presenters:
[SPEAKERS]
Who Should Attend:
Lawyers involved in real property transactions, land-use entitlement procedures, environmental regulatory permitting for development projects, water and environmental consultants, landowners and real property developers
01.24.2008
|Speaking Engagement
|General Session: Wanger Decisions[br]Panel Discussion on Immediate Stressors and Alternatives to Continue Critical Water Deliveries South of the Bay Delta in 2008, 2009, etc.
Date:
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Time:
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Location:
Eldorado Hotel & Casino
Reno, NV
Organizers:
Related Practices/Industries
Sponsored By:
41st Annual Mid-Pacific Region Water Users Conference
KMTG Presenter
[SPEAKERS]
For More Information
For more information contact the Water Users Conference
1521 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916.448-1638
Email: JTownsend@cgfa.org
11.01.2007
|Speaking Engagement
|Is the Delta in Trouble? Court Rulings and the Increasing Pressure on One of the Largest Water Diversion Projects in the World
Date:
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Time:
10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Location:
Westin Hotel
191 North Los Robles
Pasadena, CA
Organizers:
Related Practices/Industries
Sponsored By:
Water Law Institute CLE International
6th Annual Conference
KMTG Presenters:
[SPEAKERS]
04.12.2007
|Speaking Engagement
|Water Rights: The Takings Clause and Government Liability for Regulatory Reallocation of Water Supplies
Date:
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Time:
2:45 - 4:15 p.m.
Location:
Grand Hyatt Hotel
345 Stockton Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
MCLE Credit
This conference is approved for 11 hours of MCLE credit; including 1 hour of ethics
Organizers:
Related Practices/Industries
Sponsored By:
CLE International
Conference on Regulatory Takings: Meeting Today’s Challenges (April 12-13, 2007)
KMTG Presenters
[SPEAKERS]
Registration
For more information or to register visit CLE International online at http://www.cle.com